Ann Marie Bjorge, known affectionately as Ann to her friends and family, left this world with the same grace and positivity with which she lived her life, on February 28, 2024, after 78 vibrant years. Born in the breezy city of Chicago on April 8, 1945, Ann's laughter and love eventually settled in Plymouth, MI, where she took her final, peaceful bow.

Ann's journey began as the spirited daughter of Gil and Peggy Meyer, who preceded her in the great adventure beyond. She was the loving nucleus of a family that includes her proud son, Michael (Deborah) Bjorge, her beloved daughter, Angela Bjorge, who greeted her on the other side, and her cherished grandchildren, Seth, Ryan, and Skylar Bjorge. Her sisters, Mary Meyer and the late Janet Nale, shared in the raucous joy and occasional mischief that only siblings can appreciate.

Her academic pursuits took her to the University of Indiana, where she attended nursing school, where she honed her innate talent for caring for others. Ann's professional life was a testament to her dedication and empathy, starting at Riverview Hospital in Detroit and concluding with her retirement from Beaumont Royal Oak in 2014. But let's be honest, she never really retired from taking care of people; she just stopped getting paid for it.

Ann was a force of nature, a woman whose bubbly personality could outshine the fizziest of champagnes. Known for her talkative and friendly demeanor, she could strike up a conversation in an empty room and leave with a new friend. She was fiercely independent, selfless to a fault, always ensuring everyone else's needs were met before her own. In fact, she was so selfless that if someone said, "Break a leg," Ann would probably ask which one and do it just to make them happy.

Her zest for life was matched by her physical vitality; she could outwalk anyone, striding an impressive 5 miles a day, likely chatting all the while to the squirrels and birds. An avid reader, she devoured books like they were going out of style. Her favorite TV show was "The Incredible Dr. Pol," because, let's face it, who doesn't love a man who can wrangle a cow and diagnose a chicken in the same breath?

Ann was a lover of all things cute and fuzzy, which, if you knew her during chemo, included her own hair. She was so proud to have kept it, you'd think she won a Nobel Prize for "Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Follicle Retention." Her appearance always stayed meticulous and well kept.

In a world that often insists on taking itself too seriously, Ann was a beacon of positivity and love. Selfless, positive, and loving—these words weren't just descriptors, they were the very essence of her being. As the great comedian Ellen DeGeneres once said, "Follow your passion. Stay true to yourself. Never follow someone else's path unless you're in the woods and you're lost and you see a path. By all means, you should follow that." Ann, in her own unique way, blazed a trail through life that was entirely her own, and yet, made everyone feel right at home on it.

As we bid farewell to Ann Marie Bjorge, we remember a woman whose laughter was infectious, whose spirit was unbreakable, and whose legacy is one of boundless love and joy. She may have left the stage, but her encore will resonate in the hearts of those who were lucky enough to know her. Curtain down, applause up, for a life spectacularly lived.